


Compendium

by CorvidaeArts, CureIcy, Pyrokinetik52, The Eye (gearsky), Zoomda



Series: The Old Lore [2]
Category: Original Work, The Eye and its Children: What Lurks in the Dark
Genre: Eldritch, Eyes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-01-24 15:17:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21340351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorvidaeArts/pseuds/CorvidaeArts, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CureIcy/pseuds/CureIcy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyrokinetik52/pseuds/Pyrokinetik52, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gearsky/pseuds/The%20Eye, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoomda/pseuds/Zoomda
Series: The Old Lore [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1392964
Collections: Tales of the Eyes





	Compendium

_"...And as the Crow dropped the purloined eye into the swirling Depths, the tendrils of Death reached up to grasp it."_  


* * *

"Though the old legends seem to mention a Crow and a stolen eye1, my research so far seems to indicate that these creatures are born of the eyes of corpses that have found their way to the sea. I suspect, however, that there are additional conditions that must be met for them to form, though I've yet to discern what those could be.  
If I were to wager a guess, I'd say that things like souls lost to the waves in inclement weather or the discrete disposal of bodies would be the most likely means for eyes to end up in the ocean2, but I've discovered records a rather unsettling anecdote amidst some antique Russian literature that seems to indicate... other methods. I've reproduced it here for reference (translated from Russian): 

> _There have been reports of a man who witnessed a creature of eyes and hands, from the deep sea. Though a great deal of hearsay surrounds this event, reputable sources quote him as saying “It cannot be of this world. It cannot be.” Less than a week later, the man was admitted to a hospital with major damage to both eyes, though the physician's records are conflicted as to the full extent. When questioned about the nature and cause of his injuries, the man replied, “Better by my own hand. Better than...”. What followed was incomprehensible, as the patient grew agitated and had to be sedated._

The implication that these things can somehow acquire eyes from living people, simply by washing ashore3, is not one I'd like to think about. For the sake of my research, however, it is one I cannot ignore.

Setting aside for a moment the "how"4, a fairly simple (albeit unsettling) answer presents itself for the "why": To multiply. Following this to its logical conclusion, it would seem that only the eye itself needs to be "dead", so to speak, for a new instance to form; eyes separated from a still-living person can transform just as those still attached to (or separate from) a corpse.

Then of course, there is the matter of the _limbs_.

  
  
  


### Update:

In the past month or so, I haven't made much headway in my investigations regarding the history of the area. All I've uncovered are some excerpts that mention the creature, as well as some additional texts of interest. I've reproduced what I could here, for the sake of completeness:

  * > _They go where the Sea sends them. Though they arose from the Crows5, the Depths are their master6._

  * > _...eye saw the Secrets, and could not recover...7_

However, recent circumstances have hindered me from pursuing even those meager leads.

A little over a week ago, I had what should have been a breakthrough: I _saw_ one! I was resting by the Sea (a questionable choice, in hindsight, especially considering my topic of research), and I caught a glimpse of something strange just under the surface of the waves. It was only for a moment, but it fits every description I've come across (even the contradicting ones, disconcertingly), so I'm certain I'm right.

At the time, this felt like an amazing boon to my research.  
I now know it was anything but.

I've had trouble focusing of late. It feels as though the cold climate is reaching tendrils into my mind, clouding my thoughts, but I'm certain it's not the cold. I've endured far worse weather, and still maintained a sharp wit.  
My inquiries have hit a dead end, too. My leads have all come up dry... no. I've _allowed_ them to run cold. If I could muster the drive to dig just _slightly_ further, I'm sure I could find something. But I cannot.

There's something bigger going on here.

It's frustrating. I feel like I'm on the verge of some great Secret; like I've nearly grasped some greater Truth, but my own mind is holding me back. There's more to all this than some strange happenings in a loose collection of derevni and syola. This is bigger than me. It's bigger than any of us in this godforsaken place.

On top of everything else, I find myself increasingly on edge, with sudden spikes in anxiety unlike any I've ever experienced. I'm starting to doubt my own mind.  
I'm noticing newfound aversions to mundane actions, like entering the nearby library, or speaking to the Priest Gerasim at the church (both of which are frequently necessary to my research).

Strangest of all, I find myself with an unopposable compulsion to capitalize specific words in certain contexts. If I were in a better state of mind, this behavior might actually prove valuable, as I'm sure there's a pattern to it that would be relevant to my research.

As it is, though, it only serves to further undermine my sense of agency, and cast further doubts upon the trustworthiness of my own thoughts.

  


I need to leave this place.

I'm certain that it was no mere coincidence that day, when I saw it staring back at me from the freezing waters of the coast. It came there for me. No, I believe it was _sent_ there for me.

I depart from Russia tomorrow, and I'll be putting this place out of mind for a time. As long as it takes to regain control of myself. I intend to pursue further research in other areas.

  


For any that would follow in my footsteps, I'd strongly advise against it.

Even as I write this, I find myself labeling these creatures "Visclera". To say "I", however, is to imply more agency than I seem to have. The name came to me unbidden; the thought simultaneously my own, and yet completely foreign.

If you still insist upon carrying on where I left off, then you'll find that I've included a brief list of... I suppose "survival tips" describes them best, below; the meager fruits of my research:   


  * Do not approach areas where many Visclera gather8.
  * If something feels minutely yet unfathomably "off", leave the area _immediately._
  * Visclera have washed ashore before. Nobody remembers9.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


######  1 Normally I'd merely write this off as sightings of Corvus corone orientalis scavenging carrion, but something seems... off. There's more to it than that. Follow up on this later.[back]  
  
2 This could possibly indicate a link between the "additional conditions" I hypothesized above, and an emotionally charged (e.g. violent, notably tragic, untimely, etc.) demise connected with the body the eyes come from. Despite the... new information I've discovered, this connection may still bear investigation, as it's remarkably similar to some proposed hypotheses regarding the formation of ghosts.  
If nothing else, it might shine new light onto the question of what actually occurs in ghost sightings and similar phenomena. Whether this leads to explanations that are _less_ terrifying than the current (oft disputed) one of dead souls come back to haunt the living, or _even more so_ has yet to be seen.  
I hope to God it's the former.[back]  
  
3 Based on the timeframe laid out in the anecdote, it's entirely possible that the acquisition of eyes is not entirely dependent upon the beaching of the creature. It would seem that, at the very least, immediate physical proximity is wholly unnecessary. In the case of the previously mentioned anecdote, for example, there was a space of over a day, possibly multiple, between his encounter with the creature and the subsequent injuries to his eyes. That the injuries appear to have been self-inflicted can be discounted, as it was most likely a preventative measure on the part of the victim, which is similarly indicative of an extended timeframe.[back]  
  
4 I cannot profess to understand the mechanisms by which the eyes are taken and, somehow, I find myself doubting that I ever truly will.[back]  
  
5 There's that mention of "Crows" again, I really think there's something to this.[back]  
  
6 Why is "Depths" written like this? More importantly, why does it feel so..._fitting_?[back]  
  
7 Maybe this relates to the "additional conditions"? I feel like I'm grasping at straws here, but that's neither here nor there, since I'm in no state to follow up on this.[back]  
  
8 I'm not sure how I know this. _How do I know this?_[back]  
  
9 Why do I know about this incident? _If nobody remembers, then there is no conceivable way I could know about this._ _**How do I know this!?**_[back]  



End file.
